Scentless option makes sense

PHS Washrooms discusses the role of scent in creating a clean environment

Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust is one of Europe's biggest and busiest children's hospitals, providing care for over 200,000 children and young people each year, and staffed by over 2,500 employees.

The neurosciences and oncology department had installed air freshening units to create a clean and fresh-smelling environment, but one of the consultants suffered from severe headaches, which was attributed to the units in question. The department decided to replace them with Biozone units from PHS Washrooms, which use sterilising techniques to resolve malodour problems, without dispensing a fragrance.

'Biozone has not only created a fresh and clean environment to work in, but has also meant that staff members no longer complain of headaches,' says June Cave, Mouchel/Signbrick facilities manager of the neurosciences and oncology department.

The fragrance-free way to deal with unpleasant smells has proved a success for other healthcare settings, such as the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, and also for local government - at Wakefield Town Hall - and in leisure settings such as Bowlplex Tenpin Bowling Centres, which has installed Biozone in all of its 18 centres across the country.

As well as odour controlling properties, Biozone also provides additional benefits with its ability to kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses, both in the air and on surfaces. It uses five odour sterilising techniques which combine to make the unit effective against flu viruses, E.coli, Salmonella, Streptococcus and Hepatitis A: Ozone - obliterates bacteria, viruses and fungi, and removes odour from the air Photoplasma - a type of energised oxygen that eliminates the reproductive capability and reduces the number of micro-organisms, which disinfects the air Negative ions - these decrease the total concentration of harmful chemicals in the air Deep UV light - this sterilises micro-organisms that pass through the unit Photo catalytic oxidisation - a process that destroys volatile organic compounds, such as methane, on surface materials.

PHS Washrooms believes that ensuring washrooms are clean and hygienic for all the senses demonstrates support for your employees, and helps to guard against the spread of infection and the negative impact on service delivery caused by staff absence through illness.